Positive New Outlook
by DFM
Summary: “They’re giving me a partner.”


Title: Positive New Outlook  
Author: Devin  
Rating: PG  
Category: SAR  
Keywords: Pre/Post-Ep, MSM, Kidfic  
Spoilers: Pilot  
Summary: "They're giving me a partner."  
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me. CC, Fox, and 1013 have an iron grip on them and aren't letting go.  
Author's Note: This is the third story in my and Erin M Blair's Positive universe. It's a sequel to Positive and a prequel to Positively Yours. It's not necessary that you read either of these but highly suggested ;) Also, this was written for Erin's AU Challenge. Big thanks to MF Luder for beta reading this.

March 1992

"They can't do this!"

Dana Mulder looked up from where she was sitting with Lizzy, their 3-year-old daughter, making sure she was coloring on the paper and not the coffee table. She'd seen her husband this mad on very few occasions and was immediately on edge.

"What? What's wrong?"

Violently tossing his coat on the nearby table he delivered the bad news. "They're giving me a partner."

Under 'worst case scenarios' this probably wouldn't have rated high on most people's crisis meters. Most wives would be glad that someone was going to be watching their husband's back. However, 'most wives' did not have Fox Mulder for a husband.

Glancing down at their daughter, who was nervously looking between the two of them, she tried to smile reassuringly. Dana was sure that she didn't know what was going on but, for the pure fact that she was seeing her father upset, she knew she would be worried. "Sweetie, I'm going to talk to Daddy for a moment. Why don't you finish up your drawing, okay?" The little girl nodded and hesitantly went back to her task.

Dragging her husband a little ways away, so that Lizzy couldn't hear them anymore but close enough that they could still keep an eye on her, she whispered, "What do you mean 'they're giving you a partner'?"

"There's only so many meanings that could have, Dana," he whispered back.

"They can't just-" but she stopped. They could, of course. What was the point of a bureaucracy, after all, if not to piss-off the 'underlings'? She let a sigh of frustration pass through her lips. "Do you have any idea who it's going to be?"

Mulder shook his head. "No, Skinner said that 'I would know when he knew'. He told me it was coming down from the top, there's nothing I can do to put them off anymore." He looked down at the floor but she doubted that what he was examining with such intensity was actually their rug. "They're sending in a spy and there's nothing I can do about it."

She began to respond but stopped when she saw Elizabeth walking over to them with a piece of paper clutched in her hand. Mulder smiled cautiously, letting her know that they would talk about it later, and almost immediately transformed into the dad Lizzy had been waiting for to come home.

"Hey short stuff!" he greeted animatedly and lifted her off the ground and planted a raspberry on her cheek, which immediately sent her into a fit of giggles and brought broad smiles to both of their faces.

"Look, Daddy! I made this for you," she said proudly, holding up her drawing for approval. Dana was sure Mulder could barely make out even a squiggly line, due to how close it was being held to his face, but it didn't really matter how it looked, just that his daughter had drawn it.

He gave her a fond Eskimo kiss. "It's beautiful! Where should we hang it up?"

"'Ow bout a' work, Daddy?" she asked excitedly. She was so happy at her father's approval that she completely missed Mulder's sad look when she suggested his office as the perfect home for her new piece of art but Dana saw it.

When they had first gotten engaged they had made no plans to keep their marriage a secret but Mulder had come back from his mother's house, the day he had planned to tell her the news, looking stricken. He had not been willing to tell her at first what had made him come to the decision that their marriage needed to be a secret, only told to a select few, but after a huge argument he had confessed.

Normally, it didn't really make a difference. They were a family, they didn't need to brandish it to the world. But every once in awhile something like this would happen; Lizzy would want to see where her parents' worked, or they would want to meet for lunch somewhere closer to work, and they would be tossed back into the harsh reality of their decision.

Scully lifted the small child out of her father's arms. "Honey, how bout we hang this on the fridge, huh?" Lizzy looked less thrilled with option, having already thoroughly decorated the kitchen with crayon just last week, but agreed. "Mulder," she said softly, placing a hand on his arm, "take a minute. We'll get dinner started." She turned a wide smile on Lizzy. "What do you say, sweetie? Mac and Cheese?"

"Cheese!" Lizzy squealed in delight.

* * *

When Mulder had arrived at work the next day, the first thing he had noticed was the file that was sitting on his desk. The little post-it on the front marked it as the background information on his new partner.

For the next hour and a half he did nothing but avoid reading the file as much as possible, even resorting to filling out paperwork at one point.

Finally there was just no other excuse he could come up with.

Flipping open the file, he stared down at its contents.

"No...no."

* * *

Quantico

"Dr. Scully," a voice called out from behind her. Scully turned to see a much too eager student running towards her, she was sure she'd seen him sitting in the front row of some of her classes, waving a piece of paper like a flag. "This message just came in from Section Chief Blevins, I told Agent Sare that I wouldn't mind delivering it to you."

She smiled as kindly as she could but hoped he would not take it as encouragement. "Thank you," she said and paused until the moment had gone on far to long for her comfort level. Her eyes darted around, trying to break his gaze. "Could I have the message, please?"

"Oh!" the student said, blushing to his roots, clearly thinking he had already handed the offending piece of paper over to her. "Here!" he shoved the message into her hand and scurried off.

Shaking her head at the departing student she mused, 'I didn't realize they were letting high school students into the FBI Academy now...', but admonished herself for the cruel thought. It was sweet after all, and he couldn't have been much younger than her.

Turning her attention to the note she couldn't help thinking, 'Today? What could the Section Chief possible have to talk to me about on such short notice?'

* * *

"Are you familiar with an agent named Fox Mulder?"

'No...no.'

"Yes, I am."

"How so?"

'Well, you see, sir...one day his dog ran me over and then we got married, not in the same day of course.'

But what she said was, "By reputation."

* * *

"Mom, can you watch Lizzy tomorrow? Yeah, we have to go out of town. It's a long story...okay. I love you too. Thanks. Night, Mom."

Mulder glanced up as Scully hung up the phone. "Everything okay with your mom?" he asked as she sank next to him on the couch.

"Yeah. She and Dad are more than willing to watch Lizzy for us for a couple days. Though she said she would not be held responsible for how spoiled she is if we take too long on this case." Mulder's only response was a soft snicker of laughter. "I think she's glad to have her around, if only to distract Dad for a little." William Scully Sr. was a man who did not enjoy retirement in the least, and occasionally it wore his wife's nerves to a frazzle.

They both drifted off into their own little worlds momentarily, considering the events of the day. "They know, don't they?" she asked suddenly, breaking the stillness.

He looked at her, a touch of sadness in his eyes. "Probably."

"They're going to use me against you."

He didn't say anything. It did sound like the perfect plan. Bring in the wife no one knew he had, what better distraction from the truth? Unfortunately for them he knew something they didn't. There was no way Scully was going to allow herself to be part of their agenda. They'd given him the worst thing in their eyes, an ally.

And that, at the very least, deserved to be celebrated.

Scully gave him a questioning look as he got up and tugged her along with him. "C'mon," he told her, in the husky voice he knew never failed to send a shiver down her back, "I've gotta 'break in' my new partner," he added a eyebrow to the end of his sentence for good measure.

She groaned but placed her arms around his neck, tugging him closer until she could whisper, "Mmmm, your new partner is gonna love you."

* * *

"Agent Mulder believes we are not alone."

'And that's all you're getting out of me,' Scully challenged silently.

Blevins continued to give her the uncomfortable look he'd adopted since she plopped the tiny piece of metal down on his desk. "Thank you, Agent Scully, that will be all."

Saying nothing she nodded at his dismissal and left the room. On her way down the hall the man who had done nothing but stand in the corner and smoke in her original interview walked passed her. A chill washed over her as their paths crossed and she continued to watch him walk down the hall, as if trying to figure out whether he was pure evil or just carrying a fan in his pocket.

Shaking herself out of her reverie, she continued down the hallway. She had to meet her husband for lunch.

'Partner,' she playfully reminded herself but then repeated it in her mind. 'Partner. I kind of like that.'

The End


End file.
